Locals tout spaceport in D.C.

Saturday

A group of local business and political officials traveled to the nation's capital for a whirlwind visit to declare their support for a proposed commercial spaceport in Southern Volusia County.

A group of local business and political officials traveled to the nation's capital for a whirlwind visit to declare their support for a proposed commercial spaceport in Southern Volusia County. The Daytona Regional Chamber sponsored the trip to Washington, D.C. last week, arranging a series of 10 meetings — including Sen. Bill Nelson and NASA officials — to discuss Space Florida's proposal to develop a space port on NASA-owned land near the Volusia/Brevard county line near Oak Hill. "We were very pleased with the outcome," said Jim Cameron, senior vice president of government relations for the Chamber. "We wanted to convey our support." Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys was among those who made the trip on behalf of the county. The council approved paying her airfare. "I thought it was extremely successful," Denys said. "I think we had a larger impact than we realize, because we had a broad-based message and Volusia County has proven to be engaged in asking for support." Others attending included Marc Bernier, a special assistant to the president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Chamber board member Rose Ann Tornatore of Wholesale Lighting Inc., Stephen Lawrence with TEAM Volusia; Georgia McKeown, the Horne Group; and Chelsea Shell, Bethune-Cookman University. The group met with Nelson and Congressmen John Mica and Ron Desantis. They met with staff members for other elected officials, as well as Woodrow Whitlow, an associate administrator for mission support with NASA and George Nield, an associate administrator for commercial space transportation with the Federal Aviation Administration. Ultimately, the FAA is the agency that will decide whether or not a spaceport could be permitted and licensed at the location. The agency is about to begin an 18-month long process to review potential environmental and other impacts from such a proposed facility. In meeting with Nelson, Cameron said the Senator stated he wants to "get all of the facts" surrounding the issue. "We just wanted to make sure they heard our side of the story," Cameron said. The wait for the facts seems to be emerging as the general theme of the spaceport conversation as the FAA's process begins later this summer. Local efforts to promote the spaceport location will slow down a bit while the FAA process is under way, Denys said. "In our discussions with the FAA, it was clear nothing is going to happen until that study is finished." Concerns about safety and negative impacts to the environment have emerged as two of the leading concerns from those opposed to the proposed Shiloh location for the spaceport. Cameron said the delegation stressed safety and protection at its meetings. "We want this very bad, for the economic benefits we see this launch pad could bring, but we will stand by and support what the FAA has to say," said Cameron. If the FAA says it's not meant to be, "we'll abide by that." Charles Lee, advocacy director for Florida Audubon, said he's not aware of any plans for opponents of the proposed location to travel to Washington. "We've been talking to folks in the executive branch agencies," said Lee, for example the Department of Interior. The Department oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which manages the land for NASA where Space Florida hopes to develop the spaceport. However, several groups that oppose the location have urged their members to get involved, especially fishermen concerned about impacts to Mosquito and Indian River lagoons. Just this month, Karl Wickstrom, editor and founder of the influential Florida Sportsman magazine, published an opinion piece speaking out against the proposal. Lee said he's finding "a lot of people of influence" are somewhat incredulous about the Space Florida proposal. "When seasoned hands with the space program get a look at it, there's an eyebrow twitch factor that engages as to how real this is."

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